June 24, 2007

Back in the Saddle

Thanks to everyone who read the previous post and gave such warm and supportive feedback. At rare moments I have something relevant and inspired to say and it's wonderful to have people appreciate it.

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I'm back from vacation and relocating my bearings. I had a fantastic time visiting with old friends and some new ones and breathing in desert air as well as coastal air. Now, I live pretty darned close to the coast as it is... east coast, that is. Which is by no means and stretch of the imagination a coastal desert. Which much of the California coast is. However, the California coast is inundated with Californians and the lowest forms of scum from every other part of the country, but that's a story for another day.

Yosemite.



Somehow the picture from the brochure is so much better than my photo-styling. Ansel Adams I am not.

Yosemite is one of California's gems and worst nightmares all rolled up in one glorious slice of the Sierra Nevada. Just being in the Sierras is enough to make me giddy with glee. However, being there with the ridiculous abundance of tourists that clog the valley is enough to make me want to pull my hair out by the roots. Yay for wine! We camped in a tent-cabin in a tent city where the neighbors were two swaths of canvas and three feet away. I was awakened by our next door neighbor kids who were bickering and yammering endlessly so I projected a particularly voluminous fart in their general direction producing a barrage of kiddie giggles. In spite of the little darlings waking me up, having kiddie laughter first thing in the morning was a lovely mood stabilizer. Have I ever mentioned that I'm not entirely Rainbow Bright in the morning? More like Satan Incarnate... usually. At least until a liter of coffee liberates me from the cruel reality that is the waking world. Then I'm A-OK.

Anyhow, after seeing an orthopedic surgeon and the MRI and whatnot from the previous week, hiking half-dome wasn't really an option for me. Actually, doing anything on my feet wasn't really advisable. (I could, however, hold my own from the flat of my back, yet alas, no takers...) So I did then next best thing and found a quiet slice of the valley with some conveniently located trees in which to string up my handy-dandy travel hammock and read and read and swayed with the breeze as the Merced River babbled along beside me.


Note the grubby in the toes... Pedicure was the first order of business upon return.

I think I may have dozed off a bit from time to time. For the record: It did not suck one bit.

Whilst in California, one of my dearest friends from Santa Barbara came up for a night to drink liquor and tell lies about the glory days. A supreme treat since it's been well over a year since I've seen him. In the meantime, the friend I was staying with was in the process of buying an absurdly overpriced condominium. The real estate market in California is absolutely ridiculous. I'm happy for her because it's what she wants, but really thankful that I live on the east coast. She's buying in Santa Cruz. We went out for drinks in Capitola one night (which is a little beach town) and she pointed out a bunch of beach villas that have at most about 600 square feet in the floor plans and go for about 1 million bucks. Guess what, people buy them. Stupid.

I was supposed to go back to work on Friday but I blew it off. Tomorrow, I'm back in the saddle... No excuses. I'm not entirely looking forward to it. Somehow I'll endure it though.


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Update for Dive: The toes are even cuter when they're clean!



19 comments:

Jocelyn said...

Drinking wine. Farting. Reading. Who needs to be on her feet for any of life's best pursuits?

Do you just love your Teva flip-flops, btw?

Fresh Hell said...

Jocelyn: the Teva flip-flops rock. But I draw the line at velcro. It just doesn't belong on footware.

Andraste said...

Huzzah! Nice vacation - sounds deLIGHTful. I gots to get me one of those.

Fresh Hell said...

Andraste: If you have the means, I highly recommend it. ;)

Art said...

I think the pics are nice. Glad you had a good trip.

savannah said...

even your writing sounds relaxed as i read it..hope your monday was chill, sugar ;)

ellie said...

"drink liquor and tell lies about the glory days"

Surely a mark of true friendship when you can look back with through the same rose tinted glasses!

Sounds like you had a wonderful trip. Welcome back x

dive said...

Wow! A beautiful place, FH.
And cute toes, too. Your "sensible hiking boots" really show them off nicely.

AliBlahBlah said...

Wait, 600 sq ft for a bargain $1 million? I'll take three please.

Fresh Hell said...

Art: Thanks. looks like you had a pretty swell trip as well.

Savannah: I made it through Monday and that's a start... ;)

Ellie: Rose tinted, bourbon tinted... it's all the same.

Dive: First time I have ever been on a camping vacation without "sensible hiking boots". 'twas very strange indeed.

Ali: You have already adopted the standard Santa Barbara distorted sense of economy, I see.

Manuel said...

Feet scare me, I keep my own socked at all times...

dive said...

Oooooooooh! Nice update!

Fresh Hell said...

Manuel: Be brave, young man, be brave. Let those tootsies breathe!

Dive: Your joy is my joy. ;)

Sassy Sundry said...

Excellent toes.

Sounds like a great vacation---liquor and lies is a great way to spend an evening. That and mountains.

I hope you're feeling better.

Neponset River Bridge Dig said...

Nice feet may I offer a foor massage?

Fresh Hell said...

Thanks Sassy. Amazing how much a pedi can set things right. I am feeling better. Was able to go to the gym tonight so I'm optimistic.

Rich, Darlin'... snap and I'm there!

Old Knudsen said...

You have a washer stuck on one of yer toes, nope don't thank me for telling you.

Fresh Hell said...

Aw Knudsen, I'd be lost without ye. xo

FirstNations said...

howdy!
returning the visit, envying the vaca (although i would have given yosemite the skip, still the hammock and reading sound dee-vine)and backreading a bit.

your fathers day post was amazing. i loved it. and i envy you that as well.
XOOfn